Friday 15 February 2013

NG 65

New game 65 is now available.


Round 1: S H N D E A I N R

I had DENS, HANDS, HANDIER, DINNERS, and correctly rejected HANDRINSE.

There are lots of sevens here, with some of the more common ones being HARDENS, HINDERS, SHADIER, SARDINE / SANDIER, INNARDS, HERNIAS, and SHINNED.

But there is one word longer than seven to be had: INSNARED (INSNARE being a variant form of ENSNARE).

My selection: DINNERS


Round 2: S R R E I E P O C

I had ERRS, RISER, REPRISE, COPIERS, and correctly rejected RECOPIERS (somehow overlooking the valid RECOPIES in the process).

The eights here are RECOPIES (as mentioned) and PIERCERS / REPRICES.  There's many sevens, of which the more common are PIERCER / REPRICE, CRISPER, RESPIRE, and PRECISE / PIERCES / RECIPES.

My selection: REPRISE


Round 3: Target 677 from 100 25 2 9 1 9

The standard method applies easily, and anyone familiar with the 75-times tables should find 677 = 9*(100 - 25) + 2.

My selection: 677 = 9*(100 - 25) + 2


Round 4: C M R A O B D U T

I had CRAM, CAROM, COBRA, and ABDUCTOR.

ABDUTOR is the only eight; the only seven is TAMBOUR ("a drum").

The sixes are rather more plentiful: COMBAT, ABDUCT, TABOUR (variant spelling of TABOR: "a kind of small drum [...]") / RUBATO ("the technique of varying the tempo within a bar of music without either lengthening or shortening the bar"), TURACO ("a type of bird"), CRAMBO ("a game in which one person or side must find a rhyme to a word or a line of verse given by another"), and MADURO ("(of cigars) strong and darkly coloured").

My selection: ABDUCTOR


Round 5: S L S H A A E F L

I had LASS, SALSA, and FLASHES.

The other seven is FELLAHS (FELLAH: "a peasant or agricultural labourer in an Arab country, as Egypt, Syria, etc.").  There's nearly an eight, but ASH FALLS is two words (ASH FALL: "a rain of airborne volcanic ash falling from the cloud which follows an eruption").

A few sixes again, of which I'll just mention HASSLE / LASHES and SHEAFS (that's a verb form, not a noun one -- the plural of SHEAF is SHEAVES).

My selection: FLASHES


Round 6: Target 998 from 100 50 1 1 7 2

Getting one away was easy enough with 999 = (7 + 2 + 1)*100 - 1.  Then I spotted the divide-by-five opportunity that I often struggle with, and found a solution: 998 = 100*50/(7 - 2) - 1 - 1.  A pleasing find!

Of course, the role of 2 and 1 + 1 can be swapped in that solution.  There is one other solution, that makes it as 2*499.  That is 998 = ((7 + 1)*50 + 100 - 1)*2.

My selection: 998 = 100*50/(7 - 2) - 1 - 1


Round 7: S R G T I O U C E

I had GRITS, TRIOS / RIOTS, SCOURGE, and OUTCRIES.

The other eight is an anagram of OUTCRIES: CITREOUS ("lemon yellow; greenish yellow").

There's a fair few sevens, also: GOUTIER, GOITRES / GOITERS (American spelling) / GORIEST, GUSTIER (but not GUTSIER), EROTICS (EROTIC as a noun: "an erotic poem"), CITROUS (variant spelling of CITRUS for the meaning "of or relating to [citrus] trees or shrubs"), SCOUTER / CROUTES (CROUTE: "a piece of fried or toasted bread on which meat dishes or small savouries may be served"), OUTRIGS, and ICTERUS (another name for jaundice).

My selection: OUTCRIES


Round 8: Target 538 from 75 50 4 7 4 5

The 75-times tables prove handy again, as I soon found 538 = 7*75 + 4 + 4 + 5.  I looked for a way to make this as 550 - 12 while using 4*(7 - 4) for the 12 and found the tweaking option 538 = 4*(75 - (7 - 4) + 5*50.  Then I found the simpler method of 538 = (4 + 4)*75 - 50 - 7 - 5.

My selection: 538 = 7*75 + 4 + 4 + 5


Round 9: VENEER OAT

This seemed like another round where it would be easy to lose it by buzzing in early with a wrong answer; I almost did so with ENERVATE, RENOVATE, and VENERATE before I concentrated on the OVER- fragment and found OVEREATEN as the answer.

My selection: OVEREATEN (19.6s)

8 comments:

Victor said...

Guess I'll be first this time:

1. SARDINE
2. PIERCERS
3. 677 = 9*(100 - 25) + 2
4. COMBAT
5. FLASHES
6. 1-away: 999 = (7 + 2 + 1)*100 - 1
7. SCOURGE
8. 538 = (4 + 4)*75 - 50 - 7 - 5
9. -

Mike Backhouse said...

I couldn't get 998 either Victor and I will be interested to see if anyone can get it. Well done on the letters as usual!

SHINNED
PRIORS (COPIERS just after time)
Victor's way
ABOUT
HASSLE
Victor's way
OUSTER (not confident here)
7*75+4+4+5=538
OVEREATEN (125s)

Mike Backhouse said...

OUSTER is ok according to my second edition.

Geoff Bailey said...

Yes, OUSTER is in the fifth edition, so that's fine. 998 is possible; I was rather pleased to find the solution, actually, as it involves something that is usually one of my blind spots.

Great find of PIERCERS, Victor!

Jan said...

Well done Mike on finding the conundrum, and PIERCERS is great Victor.

HANDIER (I was thinking there must be a full Monty with these good letters, so searched for ages after time, but no luck)
PRICES (wondered about PRICERS)
9*(100-25) + 2 = 677
COMBAT
FLASHES
(2+7+1)*100 - 1 = 999
GOITRES
(4+4)*75 - 50 - (5+7) = 538
-

Mike Backhouse said...

Geoff - loved that middle maths solution.

Sam Gaffney said...

I thought the first few mixes weren't bad, but I just couldn't break through.

1. SARDINE
2. REPRISE
3. 677 = 9*(100 - 25) + 2
4. COMBAT, fairly late. Couldn't even spot ABDUCT!
5. FLASHES
6. 1-away: 999 = (7 + 2 + 1)*100 - 1, Geoff's solution shortly after time.
7. OUTCRIES
8. 538 = 75*7 +4 +4 +5
9. x RENOVATE at 1.0s, took several minutes to find OVEREATEN.

Geoff Bailey said...

Thanks, Mike, I was pretty happy about it!